WATERSIDERS' ATTITUDE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21347, 23 November 1932, Page 12

WATERSIDERS' ATTITUDE

PORT DUNEDIN AT GISBORNE

NO CALL TO LOAD MEAT

[by telegraph—OWN correspondent] GISBORNE, Tuesday Further trouble on the waterside at Gisborne was anticipated to-day, when the Port Dunedin arrived from Wellington to load wool, butter and meat for shipment to Home ports. The Port Dunedin was reported to be carrying a portion of meat cargo loaded by non-union labour and the outstanding question was whether any produce from this port would be loaded into the vessel by union labour. There was also in question the attitude of the waterside workers toward the transhipment of meat from the Kaiti works to the Port Dunedin, the works management having carried on operations for the past week with free labour. No attempt was made by the employers to secure the handling of meat from the Kaiti works to-day. Substantial quantities of wool and butter were loaded into the barges yesterday and early this morning in readiness for transhipment to the Port Dunedin and up to the breakfast adjournment this morning the unionists proceeded with the loading of the lighters without hitch. When the men reassembled after .the interval, however, a general meeting of unionists was held. It was agreed that wool and butter should be handled to day. The men who were not engaged on the lighters accordingly lined up for engagement and gangs were picked to work the holds on tho Port Dunedin, while the lighter gangs returned to their work. About 120 union workers accepted work in connection with the liner and there was shortage of union labour for tho coastal vessel Tiroa. A large number of unemployed men were in attendance at tho wharf in addition to members of the Waterside Workers' Union, but they remained aloof for tho greater part when their services v/cro sought. In this action tho unemployed complied with their announced decision to support the union in its disputes, their action this morning being due to the fact that there were still members of the union disengaged.